Tag: Canada

Air Canada to go fully electric in Quebec City

Air Canada to use eGSE in Quebec City resizedAir Canada will make Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport its first station to operate a 100% electric GSE fleet by the end of the year.

At the Quebec City (YQB) station, Air Canada will complete its transition away from fossil fuel-powered equipment to electric alternatives for baggage and ramp tractors, belt loaders, power stows, container loaders and aircraft tractors.

The announcement coincided with the start of Earth Month.

Switching to eGSE is a mid-term step towards the long-term goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Using 2019 as a baseline, Air Canada aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions from air operations by 20% and 30% from ground operations by 2030.

Michael Rousseau, President and CEO of Air Canada, said: “The focus of Earth Month 2025 is renewable energy and with Quebec’s renewable hydroelectric power, it is fitting that the city of Quebec is our first fully electric capable station. This project demonstrates the successful collaboration between Air Canada and the YQB airport authority in developing the necessary charging infrastructure to support the transition to a zero direct emission eGSE fleet powered by Quebec’s renewable energy grid.”

Stephane Poirier, President and CEO of the airport, added: “This project was made possible thanks to close collaboration between our teams, and is perfectly in line with our commitment to reduce the environmental footprint of our operations, as well as to provide the support and tools necessary for our airline partners to achieve their GHG reduction objectives. We are proud that YQB is the first Air Canada station to take this important step towards environmental sustainability.”

Air Canada has been retiring older fossil fuel-powered GSE in favour of eGSE and it has over 900 pieces of eGSE equipment, representing 35% of its GSE fleet.

Some operations still require fossil fuel-powered GSE so Air Canada will work with manufacturers to evaluate new technologies, says the airline.

Honda tests Autonomous Work Vehicle in Toronto

Honda Autonomous Work Vehicle resizedHonda has demonstrated its fully-electric prototype Autonomous Work Vehicle (AWV) at Toronto Pearson International Airport to test its use in airfield operations.

The demonstration tested its use in security perimeter fence inspections and was conducted in collaboration with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority along with technology leaders including Cisco Canada, Genwave Technologies, Illuminex AI and Eagle Aerospace.

For the Toronto demonstration, Honda showcased the AWV’s perimeter inspection capabilities leveraging its mapping and obstacle detection features, allowing it to navigate inspection routes and slow down or stop to avoid colliding with an obstacle.

The proof-of-concept perimeter fence inspection uses technologies from multiple tech companies, with Cisco Ultra Reliable Wireless Backhaul providing the wireless networking backbone for private connectivity to the airfield, Genwave Technologies designing, integrating and supporting wireless networks such as Cisco’s IoT Ultra Reliable Wireless Backhaul platform, Illuminex AI’s Operational AI System providing real-time assessments of airfield conditions and potential hazards, and Eagle Aerospace’s AIROps cloud-based software offering real-time automated logging of discrepancies during the inspection process.

Jason VanBuren, System Engineering Manager at American Honda Motor Co, said: “As we work toward commercialising the Honda AWV, we want to understand the needs of airfield operators and airport authorities to create new value by streamlining operations, enhancing safety performance and helping to meet airfield environmental sustainability goals.”

Honda is looking for other use cases such as hauling and transporting aircraft parts and equipment, mowing for vegetation control, working as a foreign object debris (FOD) tool and towing baggage carts and trailers to and from aircraft.

The AWV uses a camera for real-time monitoring and a suite of sensors to operate autonomously including GPS for location and radar and LiDAR for obstacle detection.

Calgary airport to receive 6 more Vestergaard e-BETAs

e-BETAs in action resizedFSM Group has placed an order for another 6 Elephant e-BETA de-icing units from Vestergaard Company to use at Calgary International Airport.

The 6 new units add to the 12 purchased last year for the Calgary Central De-icing Facility and will be in operation in autumn this year.

The Elephant e-BETA is electrically operated with a hybrid option and has been in operation in Canada, the US and Europe for several years.

Anders Larsen, Chief Sales Officer of Vestergaard, said: “We are delighted to once again have earned the trust of FSM Group and to be recognized for our dedication to quality and sustainable innovation. This order not only reaffirms our position in the market but also motivates us to continue pushing the boundaries and setting new industry standards.”